Lease of life

Both my Mum and I like farmhouse style interiors and at home we've been giving items of furniture a new lease of life with the help of some Farrow & Ball paint. They have a fantastic range of colours and it is by far our favourite paint company! 

We simply painted certain parts of our wooden furniture to give them a complete new look and we are very happy with the results.

This is our merchants chest, we left the top in its original state and painted the bottom surrounds and draws. It sits very well in our passageway.

This is our farmhouse dining table with a gorgeous reclaimed wooden top. We painted the legs and base to give it more definition. It also breaks up this particular space which is quite narrow.

Next to this table is a narrow shelving unit which we also painted in the same colour. I think this colour compliments the shade of wood and by leaving parts in their original wood state gives a fantastic rustic effect. It can be scary to paint something thinking you're going to get it wrong, so make sure you're confident with your colour choice before arming yourself with a paint brush! :)

The rise of Rise Hall

I don't know whether anyone recently watched 'Sarah Beeny's Restoration Nightmare' on Channel 4. It was fantastic as it focused on the restoration of Rise Hall in Yorkshire and how Sarah transformed it not just into her home but into her fabulous wedding venue.

Built somewhere between 1815 and 1820, Rise Hall is a beautiful example of a British stately home surrounded by scenic views and well kept grounds. The house has fallen into disrepair and Sarah made sure that quality, time and love was put into every piece to ensure that the house would be brought back to its former glory.

She did a fantastic job and so did all the builders, decorators and craftsmen involved who worked very hard around the clock to meet their fast approaching deadline of the first wedding. After the Second World War Rise Hall was leased and became a convent/school, hence the 70's gymnasium extension that was made up of red brick and look at the beautiful transformation, you wouldn't expect to dine in a gymnasium on your wedding day would you?

The layout of the old windows has been retained but the frames have been replaced and french doors added that open up onto the grounds. It's just stunning!

This is the entrance hall as well as where the ceremonies are held.

I couldn't believe it when it was revealed that the columns are in fact hand painted in a marble effect! It was amazing to see it being done by a single person and how realistic is looks! It is truly a wonderful craft.

In the rooms you are completely spoilt. Fabulous colour palettes compliment upholstery and fabrics that create a sense of rich luxury. Just look at the copper bath!

All images: Source: Rise Hall

Overall, the house is fantastic and all that hard work has paid off. This restoration respects English heritage and has allowed Rise Hall to rise again to what it deserves.

Click to visit the Rise Hall website

I'm back finally!

I'm so sorry to have left, uni work overload.

Finally, back with an upcoming new post.

Bear with me!

Hello all.

Please bear with me at the moment, can't wait to get back posting but I am currently up to my neck in university work, deadline in a week! Be back soon :)

Chrome & Antlers

I went for a little retail therapy just yesterday and came across some chrome pieces.

I have never been a huge fan of chrome as I tend to turn to the more rustic metals like brass or wrought iron. I love interiors that have a touch of cabin fever, like thick knitted quilts, beautifully upholstered armchairs, open fire places, wood and stone and when I came across these I loved the idea even more. 

The antlers selection that they had was amazing and at great value. These three sets of antlers were mounted onto a wooden slat. The chrome, like you tend to find in cheaper stores is often very heavily polished and looks a bit tacky, but these had texture and the creases and indentation details held a slight darker shade of chrome giving them an older vintage look. These were priced at just £24.99 at Tk maxx.

Here is another antler piece also tk maxx. I can imagine two of these owning a wooden dining table as statement pieces or placed on a side board, however it is small another to be placed on a coffee/small table, this was priced at £14.99.

Now I really did like this. It is not quite as detailed as I would like it to be but I think along with the antlers in a room it would give a sense of the outdoors and adventure. This was an absolute bargain reduced to just £12 tk maxx! I could see this on a wooden side table next to a comfy, brown leather sofa and a toasty open fire, aah :)

I really love grey or green at the moment for a wall colour, especially the range that they have on offer from Farrow & Ball, my favourite paint company. Farrow & Ball's French Grey and Green Blue are gorgeous.

French Grey & Green Blue

by Farrow & Ball.

I had a little browse online for an interior that I think would perfectly accommodate my little finds and I think this French interior justifies. 

Source: My French Country Home

Going Green!

I was looking at Architecture Daily via Facebook and they have just published the following image...

Source: Architecture Daily

This image is designed to show how London's famous Gherkin could look. 'Going green' is very important in regards to the future of our planet. More and more buildings, especially in the cities are popping up to provide accommodation, offices and businesses. Not only is going green important to the welfare of the environment, with regards to pollution and recycling, appearance is also important. What is described as the 'green panel' (Core Hydraulic Integrated Arboury Pane) allows vegetation to grow on the surface of the building. I think it looks amazing, and if more green roofing and panels like this can be achieved more often then great, because not only is it encouraging more vegetation growth within these big cities it also looks better than the standard concrete jungle that we are so used to! 

This is the School of Art, Design and Media at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, yet another example of green roofing. The way it blends in with the surroundings is just incredible considering the size of the building. The architectural forms mimic rolling hills perfectly. Very impressive!

Doesn't a little bit more green make life look a little brighter :)

Eco Build 2013

I forgot to mention much earlier on here that on March 5th 2013 I attended EcoBuild at the Excel in London. Yes I got there, considering the awful bus driver that we had.

I would recommend going as there is plenty to see!

There are many things on show including, building materials and home/building products that represent the future of construction and lifestyle. There are also many talks on different topics where you can take a seat and listen. It was a very interesting day with plenty of exhibitions to see.

Click on the image below to visit ecobuilds webpage for information about them and registering for 2014.